Operation: Partners in Crime
by SarcasticDevotee
Summary: Duncan has a crush on Gwen, best friend to Courtney. Courtney has a crush on Scott, best friend to Duncan. When these two have a similar goal, these completely different forces of nature will put aside their differences to get each other with their crushes. However, love has an odd way of turning everything on its head. High School AU; contains Duncney, Gwuncan, and Scourtney.


"_Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up."_

_-James A. Baldwin_

* * *

**Chapter One: **Screw this Damn School

* * *

The blaring sounds of an alarm clock woke up seventeen year old Duncan Mason, but he didn't get up right away. Even when he did, he took his sweet time taking a shower and styling his green hair into a mohawk. Today was the first day of his junior year of highschool, but to him, it was nothing more than another day.

He groaned and tossed his new bottle of hairgel into the trash can, before digging in his cabinet for an old bottle. He had heard so many good things about that new brand of hairgel; how it would style the _perfect _mohawk. It was nothing more than a load of crap in his opinion. He worked better with his normal hairgel anyway.

After styling his mohawk, he ran water from his sink over his hands and splashed it onto his face. His facial structure was incredibly sharp, accentuated by his green mohawk and black soul patch. After pointing at himself in the mirror and clicking his tongue, he walked back into his room, digging around in a drawer for a bag of crickets; his pet tarantula, Scruffy's favorite food.

"There 'ya go, Scruffs," his tarantula was one of his few weak spots, "Eat on up, buddy." Without another word, he walked out of his room and into the kitchen.

"What're you doing up so early?"

He turned to face his mother, standing in the doorframe, rubbing her eyes. Duncan's folks, and most of his extended family for that matter, were cops. His mom predominantly worked the night shift, so she usually slept in the mornings.

"School, unfortunately," Duncan scoffed, "Is Pops around?"

"Oh, right, right, first day of school," his mom yawned, "He already left to make his rounds. Muskoka never sleeps, after all!"

"Figures," Duncan scoffed, grabbing a sack lunch he had slopped together last night. His mom yawned once more, wiping at her eyes.

"Only made food for yourself?"

"Yep," he replied, bluntly.

"You know I can't cook," his mother frowned, crossing her arms at him, "What am I going to eat once I get my nap out?"

"You're already awake, right Ma?" he asked, smirking a bit, "Eat some breakfast or somethin'. Pourin' milk ain't hard."

She faux-pouted before saying, "I know I said we had to save electricity, but open the curtains before you leave, alright? It's dark as night in this kitchen."

Duncan scoffed, "They _are _opened."

His mother, who went by the name of Haley Mason, furrowed her brows. It was then that she remembered why it was so dark, "Oh, right..."

Both of them turned to the kitchen window.

"That apartment building's damn stupid," Duncan complained, checking his sack lunch as he glared at the window.

The Mason family had lived in Muskoka, Ontario for six years. It was a quaint town and in the years before Duncan's older twin brothers went to college, it was a normal neighborhood they lived in. This changed last year. A ten story apartment building was built beside their small house. Only rich folks had lived there, and just the thought of rich brats made Duncan's skin crawl.

He was brought out of his thoughts when his mother said something to tick him off.

"You're looking more and more like your father by the day."

Duncan rolled his eyes and made his way to the door, slamming the door shut behind him, as he began to walk to Wawanakwa High School. His relationship with his father was bluntly rocky.

His father was a strict, justice-oriented man. To have his youngest son turn out to be one of the biggest delinquents in the city of course put the two on edge. Duncan wasn't like his mother or his father or his older brothers. He had no intention of becoming a police officer and that was making things worse by the moment.

As he continued his walk to school, he heard a familiar voice call from behind him.

"Yo, D!" It was the voice of his best friend, Scott Miller, "Wait up, will 'ya?"

Duncan turned and scoffed, deciding not to slow down to let the red-haired farmboy catch up, "No can do, Scotty. Gotta get to class and all that crap."

Scott grunted and rolled his eyes, "Oh, come on! You still mad that I bailed on 'ya with tagging the graffiti by the library the other night?"

Duncan's silence and increase in walking speed was a blunt answer to Scott's question. Of course, he knew he wouldn't leave Scott hanging _too _long. Even if the two bugged each other relentlessly, they were indeed best friends.

Looking up at the sky as he continued his walk, the sunlight caused Duncan to squint. It was a beautiful day for a first day of school.

And Duncan absolutely _hated _school.

* * *

"Gosh!" Duncan overheard Harold McGrady's voice as he walked into homeroom, "Do I _gotta _be in the same class as _Duncan_?"

"Unfortunately, it looks like we don't have a choice," the voice of the resident Indian snarker, Noah Intan, droned in response.

"So who's going to talk to him?" the calm voice of Bridgette Summers asked.

"Not it," Noah replied, dryly.

"...Why are you guys all staring at me?" the voice of Tyler McMahon asked as the three decided who would be this year's target.

Duncan rolled his eyes and ignored his classmates, sitting down in his desk and propping his feet up. His non-chalant yet intimidating stare caused the four to quickly shut up and return to their own business.

Scott sat down in the seat beside him, "Frickin' sweet! We're in the same homeroom again!"

"Been that way since middle school, hasn't it?" Duncan asked, chuckling lightly, "Makes me wish that Geoff and DJ didn't volunteer for that exchange student thing. Then the gang coulda been all together."

Scott laughed his normal, semi-nasally laugh, "I get'cha man. But hey! At least our punching bags are still in the class!" Scott jerked his thumb towards Harold and then towards Cameron Olivers.

"Hear hear," Duncan replied, as he extended his fist to fist-bump Scott, who happily returned it.

"So we're in the same class, Scott?"

The two looked towards the new voice to see none other than the resident blue-haired goth herself, Gwen Lawrence. Otherwise known as the girl Duncan had a crush on. It had developed over summer vacation, when he ended up meeting her at a park and finding out they had a lot in common. Unfortunately for him, she had just gotten out of a relationship with Trent Williams, and currently wasn't in the mood for another relationship.

"You're in Class-C too, Gwennie?" Scott teased with another laugh.

She rolled her eyes, "If you checked your class schedule, you'd know that."

"Schedule, smedule," Scott shrugged, "But hey, at least we get 'ta sort out the club meetings!"

Something that Duncan still couldn't believe was that Scott was a member of the student council, as was Gwen. Of course, Scott's inclusion didn't come from being a good student. Somehow, the school's moonchild, Dawn Ray had talked Scott into being her running mate for School Council President. Somehow, Dawn had won and that automatically made Scott of all people the vice president.

Gwen being in the student council was a similar shock. Most people saw Gwen as the rebellious goth girl but she was also very much into student council, even if it was just "going against the man" to her.

"Please, you don't care about being school president," Gwen rolled her eyes before turning to Duncan, "Hey, you're Duncan, right? Remember me?"

Duncan put on his flirtiest smirk and replied, "That's the name, pasty. Don't wear it out. And you're Gwen, right?"

"I'm actually surprised the school bad boy remembered my name," her half-teasing, half-sarcastic responses was another turn on to Duncan. Before he could say anything else, however, she turned to the sound of her friend, LeShawna Jones's voice.

"Gwen, girl, get over here!"

"Coming, LeShawna!" she called, before turning back to the two boys, "I'll see you guys around. Don't be late to council meetings, Scott." With that, Gwen turned and walked away. Duncan couldn't help but watch her look away, scanning her from top to bottom as a grin crossed his lips.

"Yo, earth to Duncan?" Scott waved his hand in front of the delinquent's face, "What'cha grinning at?"

"None of your business."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm butting in!"

Duncan rolled his eyes but smirked. Scott was blunt as usual.

"What'cha think about Gwen?" Duncan spoke, arching his pierced unibrow.

"She seems like a choice babe," Scott replied, grinning, "Y'know, for rocking all that hairdye and junk."

"Hey-hey!" Duncan pretended to look insulted, pointing up at his mohawk, "Don't diss the hair dye, mkay?"

"Whatever, algae head," Scott retorted, "Hey, did you watch wrestling last night?"

As the two drifted off into a conversation about wrestling, Duncan's mind was still going a mile a minute. There was just something about Gwen that was interesting to him.

Her cold but at the same time inviting personality. Her delicate body and calm movements. Her amused smirks and sharp wit. The fact that she was probably one of the most attractive girls at Wawanakwa High definitely helped things too.

Some part of Duncan felt annoyed that Scott called Gwen a choice babe. But at the same time, that was Scott for you. Even if he did or didn't have romantic feelings for someone, he was extremely blunt in everything he said. Maybe it was because he was a farmboy or because he knew he could get away with it. Neither would surprise Duncan much.

Duncan stood up, "Still got time before we hear the hag teach us. I'm gonna go take a piss."

"Have a good'un," was Scott's childish and slightly sarcastic reply.

He stood up and just as he was about to walk through the door, he bumped into another student.

"Watch where you're goin'!" he rudely exclaimed to the other student.

"Watch where _I'm _going? How about you watch where _you're _going." It was a Latina with shoulder-length brown hair, a freckled nose, and preppy clothes that glared back at him.

The class fell silent and all eyes were on the two of them. Duncan Mason and Courtney Ramirez had bumped into each other. The school's delinquent and the school's overachiever.

"Just like a delinquent," she spoke again, eyeing Duncan up and down, "And just for the record, skulls are against the school's dress code."

Duncan's lips turned into a scowl. If she didn't open her mouth, Courtney Ramirez could have been cute or even hot in Duncan's opinion. He had crossed her path once or twice, and she wasn't very fond of Duncan's rebellious and flirtatious nature, to say the least. But to be honest, Duncan found her to be a stick in the mud, so the feelings were mutual to say the least.

"Y'think I give a damn?" was Duncan's reply, which did nothing but annoy Courtney.

It was then that none other than Gwen Lawrence made her way up to the two, probably to keep the two from making a scene.

"You're late, Courtney," Gwen greeted her best friend by teasing her, "You're never late to class."

Courtney turned her attention from Duncan to Gwen, acting like the delinquent wasn't even there. "I overslept," she replied crossing her arms and giving her best friend a smile, "But hey, at least we're in the same homeroom this year."

Duncan took this chance to sneak out of the classroom. How could a girl as cool as Gwen be best friends with a stuck up princess like Courtney? It amazed him.

Of course, what he heard when he left the classroom changed his amazement to annoyance.

"Well, Courtney won that stand-off, didn't she?" It sounded like Harold's voice.

Duncan's scowl grew, as this confirmed that Scott and Gwen was the only good thing to him about Wawanakwa High. He muttered under his breath as he made his way towards the bathroom,

"Screw this damn school and everyone in it."

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**Hey there! This fic is loosely based off of the anime, Toradora, but of course, you don't have to know anything to follow it. We're in for a long ride, so strap in! And let me know what you thought.**

**Until next time!**


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